Here's a breakdown:

* Hydro means water.

* Philic means loving.

Therefore, hydrophilic substances are "water-loving". They readily dissolve in water or form strong interactions with water molecules. This is due to their polar nature, meaning they have unevenly distributed charges, which allows them to form hydrogen bonds with water molecules.

Some examples of hydrophilic compounds include:

* Sugars like glucose and fructose

* Salts like sodium chloride (NaCl)

* Alcohols like ethanol

* Many proteins

In contrast, hydrophobic compounds dislike water and don't dissolve in it. They tend to be non-polar and have a more equal distribution of charges.